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I think Whitman more than any other poet possessed the gift of revealing to others the beauty of everything around us, the beauty of nature, the beauty of human beings.

From reading a previous answer, you know that I consider all those aspects to be part of American cultural myth and thus they figure into good American poetry, whether the poet is aware of what he is doing or not.

There's something almost adolescent about Whitman's paean to everything that was and remains good about America.

Some of his own closeness to nature, his great love for human beings, was passed on by Whitman to all of us who knew and loved him.

Distinctly American poetry is usually written in the context of one's geographic landscape, sometimes out of one's cultural myths, and often with reference to gender and race or ethnic origins.

American poetry, like American painting, is always personal with an emphasis on the individuality of the poet.

I would say that American poetry has always been a poetry of personal testimony.

I definitely wish to distinguish American poetry from British or other English language poetry.

I actually remember celebrating National Poetry Day at school; I remember having to write and read a load.

Poets deal in writing about feelings and trying to find the language and images for intense feelings.